Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam is on the verge of achieving two major milestones in one-day international (ODI) cricket. The first match of the three-game ODI series between Pakistan and West Indies will take place on Friday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
The 30-year-old former captain is just one century away from breaking Saeed Anwar’s long-standing record for most ODI hundreds by a Pakistani. Saeed Anwar scored 20 centuries in 247 matches and 244 innings, while Babar has already scored 19 hundreds in only 131 matches and 128 innings. One more century will make him the top Pakistani in this record list.
Most ODI centuries for Pakistan:
- Saeed Anwar – 20 centuries, 247 matches
- Babar Azam – 19* centuries, 131 matches
- Mohammad Yousuf – 15 centuries, 281 matches
- Fakhar Zaman – 11 centuries, 82 matches
- Mohammad Hafeez – 11 centuries, 218 matches
Babar is also on track to become the second fastest batsman in ODI history to reach 20 centuries. So far, he has taken 128 innings to score 19 hundreds. If he scores another one within his next four innings, he will beat Indian great Virat Kohli’s record of 133 innings. The fastest ever is South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who reached 20 centuries in just 108 innings.
Fastest to 20 ODI centuries:
- Hashim Amla – 108 innings
- Virat Kohli – 133 innings
- AB de Villiers – 175 innings
- Rohit Sharma – 183 innings
